Surf Bags: Protecting Your Board

Go thick or stay home, bro. For airline travel, you want at least 10mm of closed-cell foam padding. This stuff absorbs impacts instead of transferring them to your glass. Top bags have 15mm or more. Don’t just rely on the bag, either—toss in some bubble wrap or clothes around the nose, tail, and rails for extra insurance. A thin sock bag is a recipe for disaster; proper padding is the difference between scoring perfect barrels and dealing with a repair shop.

Not really, brah. For a week or two, it’s fine. But for long-term storage in your garage or shed, you should take them out. Trapped moisture can lead to delamination and mildew, especially in humid climates. Store them upright in a board rack or on their side in a cool, dry place. The bag is for transport and short-term protection, not for a multi-season hibernation. Let your boards breathe.

Simple: a day bag is a light sock, often just a sleeve, for quick protection from the sun and roof racks. A travel bag is the heavy-duty haul. It’s thickly padded, has reinforced seams, multiple handles, and sometimes even wheels. You use the day bag for the dawn patrol run to your local. You need the travel bag when you’re flying to Indo or Costa Rica, where your board needs maximum cushioning from a world of potential impacts.

For a dedicated surf trip with multiple boards, absolutely. A coffin lets you pack two or three sticks together, which protects them better as a unit and often saves on airline fees compared to multiple single bags. They’re a mission to lug around, but they’re the ultimate move for bringing your whole arsenal—your shortboard, step-up, and maybe a fish—so you’re ready for whatever swell the ocean serves up.